SPAIN’S prime minister has said his government will not participate in President Trump’s Board of Peace, citing concerns that the invite-only council could usurp the responsibilities of the United Nations.
“We appreciate the invitation but we decline,” Pedro Sanchez told reporters on Thursday after an emergency European Council meeting in Brussels to address the crisis in transatlantic relations following Trump’s threats against Greenland.
The Spanish premier said he rejected the invitation ‘for the sake of consistency’, explaining that he harbours serious doubts that the Trump-run board will respect ‘the multilateral order and the rules of the United Nations’.
“Furthermore, it has not included the Palestinian Authority,” Sanchez added, referring to Trump’s refusal to invite Palestinian rulers even though the primary aim of the new council is to bring peace to Gaza.
Would-be member states would also be required to make a payment of over €850 million.
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The move brings Spain in line with the UK, who have also snubbed an invite to the self-proclaimed Board of Peace amid concerns over Russian involvement.
Last week, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper announced that the UK would not take part in a ceremony to formally establish the board at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“We won’t be one of the signatories today because this is a legal treaty that raises much broader issues,” Cooper told the BBC.
“And we do also have concerns about President Putin being part of something that’s talking about peace when we’ve still not seen any signs from Putin that there will be commitment to peace in Ukraine.”
The board – which has Trump as chairman for life with the power to appoint executive board members and create or dissolve subsidiary bodies – has been billed as a new international organisation for resolving conflicts.
The White House recently named seven members of the founding Executive Board, including US secretary of state Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and former UK prime minister Tony Blair.
But critics say the board is going well beyond its intended remit with functions designed to replace key roles played by the United Nations.
None of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council – China, France, Russia and the UK – have committed to participation so far.
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